web logo

Professor Kayode
Soremekun is the new vice-chancellor, Federal University Oye-Ekiti. Until this
appointment he was with the National Open University of Nigeria. Professor
Soremekun had his Ph.D in International Relations with interest in
the dynamics of petroleum energy in international policy and politics, at Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 1984. He attained full professorship thereafter. Professor
Soremekun is an editor of several books, including Governance and Democratization in Nigeria (1995) and Nigeria's Second Republic (1988), among
numerous professional accomplishments and fellowships. He has received a
Netherlands Fellowship, served as foreign policy fellow at the University of
Maryland, and was a consultant to the Stockholm-based International Institute of Democracy
and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). While a fellow at the International Forum
through the summer of 2001, Prof. Soremekun conducted research on the Differing
U.S. Responses to Democratization in Nigeria and Kenya.

Professor Soremekun began his
academic journey at the prestigious King’s College, Lagos Nigeria where he took
his secondary education from 1972 to 1976. He then proceeded to University of
Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (O. A. U.), Ile-Ife, for his first degree.
Within three years of graduation, he obtained a Master of Science (M. Sc.) in
International Relations still from O. A. U. Five years afterwards; he received
his doctorate in International Relations in 1984. Professor Soremekun is indeed
an academic meteor!

He has also received many
post-graduate and post-doctoral qualifications from University of
Maryland, College Park USA, Post-Doctoral Studies Institute of Social Studies, The
Hague, Netherlands, among others. His other distinctions and awards include:

Consultant and Resource Person to The Swedish
based International Institute for Democracy

and Electoral Assistance, (IDEA) Consultant
and Resource Person to the Commonwealth

on the Media and the Ombudsman’s Institution
Director and Member Governing Board: Research Project on Governance and
Democracy in Nigeria. This is a U.S. funded collaborative project between
Awolowo University and the University of Florida, Gainesville. Jan. 1992 - Till
date.

This academic luminary
has taught at O.A.U. and University of Lagos respectively at different times before
this appointment as the vice-chancellor of this budding university.

A man of many
parts and abilities, he had had some exciting stints in journalism in his early
days, working as staff writer - political affairs, Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria. He had also worked as staff writer in Times International and Daily
Times of Nigeria.Even as he was rising,
he kept the flames of his interest in journalism through membership in Daily
Times Editorial Board and Daily Times of Nigeria, Lagos (though on part-time
basis). He was also Editorial Training Instructor, Times Newspaper Training
Centre, Daily Times Lagos and Visiting Editorial Board Member of The AM News, a
pro-democracy, quasi-guerrilla newspaper that was very active during the dark
days of military rule in Nigeria; Visiting Editorial Board Member of The
Guardian and The Compass newspapers.

In line with his
tall intellectual standing, Professor Soremekun has attended numerous local and
international conferences where he delivered incisive papers that bordered
mostly on petroleum energy and the domestic and foreign policies attendant on
it. Some of these conferences he attended are: International Conference on the
Crisis in The Niger Delta, organized by PRIO and the Nordic African Institute,
Oslo, Norway August, 11 -17, 2008; UNESCO Conference on The Nation-State and
Regional Integration in West Africa, The Nigerian Case, February 25 – 29, 2008;
Conference on Rethinking Global Security: An African Perspective, Nairobi,
Kenya, February 22 -24, 2006; Enhancing the Public Profile of the
Ombudsman’s Office in Africa, Abuja, Nigeria, January 30 – February 3, 2006; Guest
Speaker, Delegates’ Conference, ChevronTexaco in March 16 2005; Guest Speaker
National Delegates’ Conference, PENGASSAN in April 14, 2005; Seminar on
Nigeria’s Foreign Policy, Oxford University, in May2003, among others.

Professor
Soremekun has published extensively on the inter-related areas of conflict,
petroleum politics and energy resources as well as visited, in the course of
teaching and research, countries such as United States of America, Canada,
Kenya, South Africa, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Jamaica, Italy, Germany,
Tanzania, Ghana, Gambia, Uganda, Senegal, Austria and Spain.

...respect and loyalty are earned by attitude, character, giving and other positive nature of an individual...Leader(s) should be willing to serve at utmost capacity to enable followers build a healthy relationship for the development of our Jerusalem.Let’s remember an adage "Oba Mewa, Igba Mewa" (10 Kings will reign at individuals appointed time (10 times) which implies nothing last forever.)Hence, we should learn to do good at all times, remembering that one day things will change, and think of what people will say after you might have gone?The evil men do will surely live after them likewise the good. #wakeupfuoye

WORD FOR THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Your Opinion/Suggestion Box

PUBLIC RELATION UNIT

This unit is under the office of the Vice Chancellor. It serves as the clearing house of general information. It disseminates official information within the university, community and foster cordial relationship between the university and the larger society.